The Jilline Ringle Solo Performance Program

Dedicated to supporting the creation, development and production of work by female solo artists across a variety of disciplines - theater, performance art and cabaret.

Photo by Ric Evans

History

Jilline Ringle, the self-proclaimed “Six Foot Redhead Amazon From Hell Whom All Men Desire”, was a Philadelphia actress, singer, teacher, cabaret artist and force of nature. A dynamic performer, she was an inspiration to those who had the great fortune to work with her or watch her on stage.

Jilline became active in the Philadelphia theater community after graduating from Bryn Mawr College in 1986. While she was featured in many area productions, she was best known for her original solo shows – La Dolce Vita: Movie Songs of the 1960s, For Me – Formidable: French Made Easy, Shut Up and Kiss Me, Come Fly With Me, and the very popular, Mondo Mangia. Jilline combined traditional cabaret with a theatrical and comedic flair all her own, to create solo events full of intelligence, laughter and heart. It was through her solo work that she was able to fully develop her own unique artistic voice. Jilline was beloved by many communities and had several artistic homes – City Theatre in Pittsburgh where her cabarets ran for many seasons, the Chalfonte Hotel in Cape May, New Jersey where she premiered all of her work and, fortunately for us, Philadelphia. She worked often at the Arden Theatre Company and 1812 Productions. She was nominated for four Barrymore Awards for her work – as Mary in the Arden’s Merrily We Roll Along, and for Mondo Mangia, Box Office of the Damned and Always A Lady at 1812. Before her passing, Jilline approached 1812 Artistic Director Jennifer Childs and expressed her wish that a fund for solo performers be started in her name at 1812. She wanted to assist other artists who were trying to do what she was doing. Jilline passed away from complications due to breast cancer in 2005 at the age of forty.

Jilline was generous with her money, her time, her energy and her talent. It is in this spirit that the Jilline Ringle Solo Performance Program is established. We celebrate her life and honor her gift to this community by giving the gift of development time and production support to other artists looking to develop their own unique voices through the medium of solo performance.

Learn More & Get Involved

1812 Summer Residency

Residency Description and Criteria

Each year in July the Jilline Ringle Solo Performance Program hosts a week-long residency for solo female artists at the 1812 Studio in Philadelphia. Two to three solo artists and a collaborator or mentor of their choice will be in residence, as well as program representatives from the Jilline Ringle Solo Performance Program Advisory Board.

The focus of the residency is the development of a solo piece already in progress. Solo pieces in any stage of development will be considered.

Artists will be provided with rehearsal space, rehearsal time and lunch each day. Each artist will receive a $400 stipend for themselves and another $400 stipend for a collaborator or mentor of their choice. Residencies run from Monday to Sunday and culminate with an informal sharing of work for an invited audience.

2018 Residency Dates and Location

Dates: TBA

1812 Productions' Rehearsal Studio

2329 S. 3rd Street
Philadelphia PA 19148

Application Deadlines and Timeline

The deadline for applications is May 1st, 2018. Artists will be contacted via e-mail after their application is received to schedule a phone interview with Jennifer Childs, 1812’s Producing Artistic Director. Artists will be notified of residency awards on May 29th, 2017.

Eligibility

a. At present residencies are open to female artists only. (Please note, we use inclusive definitions of “woman” and “female” and we welcome submissions from trans women, genderqueer women, and non-binary people who are significantly female-identified.)

b. Artist’s project must be an original solo theater, cabaret or performance art work in any stage of development

c. Artist must have a collaborator committed to being present and working with them during the residency week. The collaborator can be a director, choreographer, dramaturg or any other artist that best serves the piece in its unique stage of development. The collaborating artist need not be female.

d. While the residencies are open to artists outside of Philadelphia, at present we do not have housing for out of town residents or their collaborators. Anyone from outside Philadelphia who wishes to be considered must be able to provide their own housing for themselves and their collaborators.

d. A letter of no more than three pages that includes a synopsis of the piece, a description of where it is in its development process, and an explanation of the focus for the residency week and the collaborator’s role

Couple Extra Bucks Fund

Fund Description and Criteria

The Couple Extra Bucks Fund provides small individual artist grants to professional female artists whose solo work is scheduled for production.

Requested funds must be for an element related to the production of the show including but not limited to set, costume, lighting and sound elements, space rental, designer/technician fees, piano rental and tuning, composition fees, and design and duplication of marketing pieces. If the solo work is being produced by a host organization, the program will only fund elements of the physical production that the artist can keep as her own for future productions of the piece.

The Couple Extra Bucks Fund does not support expenses related to the research, rehearsal and development process. Should that be of interest, please consider applying for a Summer Residency.

Deadline

Applications are due May 1, 2018 and grantees are announced May 29, 2018

Eligibility

a. At present, applications are only being accepted from female artists. (Please note, we use inclusive definitions of “woman” and “female” and we welcome submissions from trans women, genderqueer women, and non-binary people who are significantly female-identified.)

b. Artist’s proposed project must be an original solo theater, cabaret or performance art work.

c. Artist must have a scheduled public performance of proposed project confirmed for a date not to exceed a year following receipt of the funds.

Guidelines

Couple Extra Bucks Fund grants are available in amounts ranging up to $1500. All applications must include

a. Application cover sheet (see below)

b. Artist’s resume

c. A letter of no more than two pages that includes a project description, brief project history and explanation of what the fund money will be used for.

d. Project Budget

e. Letter of Recommendation from theater professional familiar with artist’s work